Diet or reduced-calorie versions of products that are typically sweet may have reduced sugar content, and therefore a lowered contribution of sweetness afforded from caloric sugars. To raise the sweetness level and compensate for the lack of sugar, reduced-calorie products may substitute another sweetening component, e.g., such products may contain high-potency sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners, or combinations thereof. Unfortunately, according to many consumers, such sweeteners, individually or in combination, do not impart exactly the same taste as natural sugars, and such consumers may experience negative taste characteristics of consumable items that include those sweeteners. For example, negative attributes associated with such consumable items may include, but are not limited to, a lack of upfront sweetness, lingering sweetness, and a lack of overall flavor. Additionally, the general mouthfeel of reduced-calorie consumable items may suffer in the absence of the syrup-like feel or texture that is associated with sugars.
Some of the negative attributes associated with non-sugar sweeteners are related to the temporal profile for initiation of sweetness; that is, following consumption, the time course for delivery of the perception of sweetness. Generally, natural sugars, such as sucrose, which provide sweetness rapidly following consumption and with an appealing rounded profile, are considered to possess an ideal temporal profile. Non-sugar sweeteners may not perfectly match the same time course for sweetness delivery. Moreover, non-sugar sweeteners may, in addition to not providing sweetness with the same temporal pattern as certain natural sugars, also initiate the perception of other tastes. For example, many consumers describe artificial sweeteners as being associated with certain taste perceptions, such as metallic, bitter, dry, astringent, other taste perceptions, or combinations thereof. Such perceptions may be particularly strong in periods following consumption, that is, artificial sweeteners may be associated with aftertaste impressions. Attempts have been made to inhibit or remove aftertastes or other negative characteristics of non-sugar sweeteners. For example, combinations of sweeteners and addition of taste inhibitors have been used to attempt to improve the taste characteristics of non-sugar sweeteners. Such approaches have not been entirely successful. Moreover, those approaches typically rely on the use of specific combinations of sweeteners and/or taste inhibitors, and the presence of such reagents in specific and narrow ranges.
Even if such approaches are partially successful in one product, those approaches may not be applicable to a range of other products, because, for example, different products may have different flavors and may possess notes that interact with added inhibitors or sweeteners in unintended ways. For example, even if successfully used in one beverage, some reagent combinations may, when used in other beverages, create products that lack mouthfeel, possess artificially tasting flavor notes, produce a beverage with a sweetness profile that is different from natural sugar, or inadvertently remove flavor notes that are desirable. Such characteristics may complicate production of beverages. In addition, such characteristics may hinder the design of products that may be provided as sugar-free or reduced-calorie versions and that may be sweetened or flavored by consumers to tailor products to individual taste preferences and desired calorie levels.
It is therefore desirable to develop methods for alleviating or reducing negative taste perceptions associated with certain artificial sweeteners by using strategies that are applicable to a variety of sweetener blends and to provide beverages with sweetness delocalization and improved mouthfeel. It is further desirable to provide sweetening or non-sweetening compositions that may be used with different beverages and, particularly, with sweet beverages that include other flavors, such as bitter, sour, and astringent notes.